Anthony Joseph Lanman

Hommages

Meyer, 2025

9/10

Listen to Hommages

The inimitable composer Anthony Joseph Lanman takes help from Holly Roadfeldt’s piano for these selections that touch on a variety of subjects including Hildegard of Bingen, Frank Zappa,
Kehinde Wiley, Gary Gygax, Nadia Boulanger, Akira Kurasowa, Eddie Van Halen, Michio Kaku, Neil Peart, John Dowland, Tony Kushner, Jackson Pollock, and more

“Hommage A Hildegard of Bingen” starts the listen with gentle keys that radiate much intimacy and wonder in the very capable hands, and it isn’t long until “Hommage A Jackson Pollock” injects a swirling aspect to the mesmerizing keys.

Closer to the middle, “Hommage A Michio Kaku” is full of ambience and colorful progressions that are both animated and reserved, while “Hommage A Gary Gygax” offers firm gestures of cinematic qualities that emit exciting ideas for the album highlight.

Arriving near the end, “Hommage A Frank Zappa” is about as unconventional as Zappa himself, where turbulent keys flow with precision and adventurousness, and “Hommage A Hayao Miyazaki” exits with a percussive angle amid the dense and frisky finger acrobatics.

An extremely accomplished listen that recruits no lack of melodies, the click of a metronome and looper pedal manipulation, Lanman and Roadfeldt make each track present artistic, sonically intriguing and atypical in the best ways.

Travels well with: Sean Hickey- Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind; Chelsea Hollow- Cycles Of Resistance

Sean Hickey/Vladimir Rumyantsev

Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind

Sono Luminus, 2025

9/10

Listen to Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind

The pianist Vladimir Rumyantsev and composer Sean Hickey come together for this thoughtful listen that was inspired by the critically-acclaimed and best-selling book, Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari.

“Pre-History” opens the listen with emphasis on atmosphere, where the keys enter amid mystery for the eloquent execution, and “Lascaux” follows with soft and pretty patterns that resonate tremendous skill that builds into dramatic swells.

The middle tracks belong to “Jericho” and “Mean Temperament”. The former rumbles in a lower register that’s curious and imaginative, while the latter is a more dense display of Rumyantsev’s inimitable playing that makes for the album’s best.

Residing near the end, “Confirmation Bias” offers an initially light and mesmerizing spirit of complex but accessible song craft, and “Commonwealth” exits with a dreamy ambience of reflective and heartfelt piano prowess.

A highly sincere effort, Hickey pens a musical response to human signposts, concepts, mythms or ideas that our existences have dragged along for thousands of years in our quest for humanity, and it makes for an enlightening and powerful experience.

Travels well with: Gerald Cohen- Steal A Pencil For Me; Ryan Townsend Strand- Dear Mrs. Kennedy

Gauche

A People’s History Of Gauche

Merge, 2019

8/10

Listen to A People’s History Of Gauche

Washington D.C. has a long history of thriving punk and hardcore sounds, and these days Gauche, who are six players on this recording, are right at the top of that esteemed list. On their first record with the Merge label, Gauche’s New Wave and post-punk ideas unfold with much unpredictability and creativeness, as themes surround anxiety, capitalism and colonization in their inimitable vision.

“Flash” starts the album bass heavy before a firm groove is found amid plenty of melodic vocals that take nods to the ‘70s, and “Cycles” follows with a peppy, punky version of indie-pop armed with a saxophone.

Elsewhere, “Pay Day” finds the outfit in post-punk territory but far from your typical approach to the genre, and “Surveilled Society” keeps the quirkiness alive on a subdued turned swift setting with plenty of dissonance.

The back half of the album offers the group vocals of “Running”, the pretty singing of “Boom Hazard”, which recruits strategic brass, and the eccentric but oh so charming “History”. “Rectangle” ends the listen with yelping in a busy atmosphere that tosses countless ideas into their powerful formula.

A raw yet meticulous sophomore album, though members of Priests and Downtown Boys help make up Gauche, ultimately A People’s History Of Gauche is its own animal, where an artistic approach infiltrates their cautious and animated qualities that bring to mind The B-52’s if they grew up on mid-period Dischord Records.

Travels well with: The Raincoats- Moving; Q And Not U- No Kill No Beep Beep